Dr. Amari received her doctoral degree in 2005 from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). While pursuing her advanced degree, she held positions in the Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, including roles as a clinical specialist and program specialist on the Neurobehavioral Unit, and research project coordinator and case manager for the Pediatric Psychology Consultation Service, for which she also recently served as...

Dr. Barker is a research scientist who works to develop magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) techniques for evaluating diseases of the human central nervous system. He also conducts research studies to determine the utility of these new techniques, particularly in the understanding and diagnosis of neurological, psychiatric and oncological diseases. At the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Dr. Barker is actively involved in research studies currently being performed at the FM Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Barker attended Oxford University in the United Kingdom, where he received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in chemistry and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in physical chemistry. He conducted his post-doctoral research in magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy at the California Institute of Technology. He has been a faculty member in the Department of Radiology at Johns Hopkins since 1989. He is currently a professor of radiology and oncology at Johns Hopkins, and a...

Dr. Amy Bastian is the chief science officer at Kennedy Krieger Institute, a role in which she identifies and promotes new directions for breakthrough research into the developing brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system. She is also director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory that studies the neural control of human movement. Dr. Bastian is a professor of neuroscience and neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

After completing her undergraduate degree in physical therapy at the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Bastian completed her doctoral degree in movement science at Washington University in 1995, and a post-doctoral fellowship in neuroscience at Washington University under Dr. W.T. Thach. Dr. Bastian came to Kennedy Krieger Institute in Summer 2001. Prior to that, she was an assistant professor in physical therapy in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the Washington...

Dr. Batista is the director of the Cytogenetics Laboratory at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and a member of the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Batista received her bachelor's of science from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil and went on to obtain a master's of science and doctoral degree in human genetics at the same university. She is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics in clinical cytogenetics.

Dr. Bay is a neurodevelopmental pediatrician and a faculty member in the Department of Neurology and Developmental Medicine at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Bay provides patient care at the Center for Development and Learning and in Down Syndrome Clinic.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Bay received her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University and received her medical degree from State University of New York at Brooklyn, Downstate Medical Center, in 2005. She completed her pediatric residency training at Baystate Hospital, Western Campus of Tufts School of Medicine, then went on to complete the fellowship training in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Bay joined Kennedy Krieger...

Dr. Harolyn M. E. Belcher is a neurodevelopmental pediatrician and research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is currently the director of the Center for Diversity in Public Health Leadership Training. Dr. Belcher is jointly appointed in the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, holding the rank of full professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Belcher received her bachelor's of science degree in zoology from Howard University in Washington, DC in 1980, her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine in 1982, and her master's in health science focusing on mental health in 2002 from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Belcher began as a fellow in developmental pediatrics at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1985. She went on to serve as assistant professor of pediatrics at...

Beltran began employment at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1994 as a clinical social worker, working with children and families experiencing abuse and neglect. She is currently an adjunct clinical associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Biographical Sketch:

Monica Beltran graduated from Goucher College with a bachelor's of arts in psychology and dance. She continued her education at Goucher and received a master's degree in Dance/Movement Therapy in 1982. She then coordinated a psycho-social program at the Center for Living (an arm of the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center) for adults with traumatic brain injury. Monica continued her education, and, in 1994, received a master's in...

Dr. Allan Belzberg is co-director of the Brachial Plexus Clinicat Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Allan Belzberg completed his undergraduate training at the University of British Columbia. He received his medical degree from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. After completing a medical/surgical internship at McGill University Teaching Hospitals, Dr. Belzberg returned to the University of Calgary Teaching Hospitals for his residency and fellowship in neurosurgery. Dr. Belzberg then joined Johns Hopkins, where he completed an advanced specialty training...

Lena Bezman, M.D., M.P.H., is a research coordinator in the Department of Neurogenetics at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also a research associate in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Bezman is originally from St. Petersburg, Russia. She received her medical degree from the Pediatric Medical Institute in St. Petersburg in 1977, where she also completed a residency in pediatrics in 1980. She worked as a pediatrician, pediatric ICU specialist and a researcher for several years in St. Petersburg. Dr. Bezman achieved a master's of public health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1992, specializing in epidemiology. Dr...

Dr. Bibat is a research scientist in the Kennedy Krieger Institute neurogenetics unit and is also a research associate in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Bibat received her bachelor's of science in psychology and Doctor of Medicine degrees at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. After completing her pediatric residency training at the University of Florida, Sacred Heart Children's Hospital, she became a clinical fellow in neurodevelopmental disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute from 1997 to 2000. She then became a research fellow in the neurogenetics department and subsequently joined the...

Gabrielle Blackman is a child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Kennedy Krieger Institute's school programs. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Blackman began her schooling at George Washington University, where she received a Bachelor's of Science in Zoology in 1992. She attended medical school at Vanderbilt University, earning her medical degree in 1996. She continued her training in General Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University from 1996 to 1999. She completed her fellowship training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital program from 1999 to 2001,...

Dr. Mary E. Blue is a research scientist in the neuroscience laboratory at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an associate professor in the Department of Neurology and Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Blue graduated cum laude with her bachelor's degree in biology and art from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa in 1977. She received her doctoral degree from the Department of Cell Biology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas in Dallas, TX, in 1982. Dr. Blue continued her career as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, between...

Carrie S. W. Borrero is a Senior Behavior Analyst in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and is an Assistant Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Borrero completed her graduate education at the University of Florida and earned her doctorate degree in 2006 under the supervision of Timothy R. Vollmer. She is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis, the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis and is a Board-Certified and a Licensed Behavior Analyst. She is currently the co-director of the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis. She has been with the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program since 2007,...

Lynn G. Bowman, M.A., is the director of direct care services on the Neurobehavioral Unit at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Bowman earned her master's degree in experimental psychology at Hollins University and completed an internship at the Harmarville Rehabilitation Center. She was a psychologist B at the Multihandicapped Habilitation Center in Central Virginia before coming to the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1989. She has been a clinical specialist, senior program specialist and a faculty member for the Department of Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute before becoming the...

Dr. Joseph Bressler is a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an associate professor of environmental health sciences at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Bressler received his bachelor's of science degree in biology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1973 and his doctoral degree in physiology from Rutgers University in 1978. His post-doctoral training at UCLA was in neurosciences, where he studied the involvement of glial cells in response to toxic agents. After his post-doctoral training, Dr. Bressler continued his studies on glial cells at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Dr....

Brockmeyer-Stubbs holds a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from the University of New Hampshire. In 1993, she attained an advanced master's degree in occupational therapy with a pediatric specialty from Towson University. Her therapy experience includes teaching, assessment programming and research.
For many years, Brockmeyer-Stubbs focused her attention and skills in the school setting, providing therapy and assessment to children ages 3-21 with...

Dr. Thomas Brushart is co-director of the Brachial Plexus Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also the division chief of hand surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and a professor of orthopedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Brushart earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at Harvard, where he also stayed for his residency at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedics Program. He completed a fellowship in hand surgery at the Curtis Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital in 1983. Dr. Brushart recently received the Hanno Millesi Award from the World Federation of Neurological Societies in Vienna, Austria, recognizing Brushart's "outstanding contributions to peripheral nerve research." He has...

Dejan Budimirovic, M.D., (pronounced Day-ahn Boo-dee-meer-o-vich) is the main co-Investigator physician at Clinical Trials Unit and the medical co-director of the Fragile X Clinicat Kennedy Krieger Institute, the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (JHMI). He is also an attending developmental neuropsichiatrist at the Institute's Clinical Research Center, and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Budimirovic is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr Budimirovic's earned his undergraduate degree from a pre-medical program and his medical degree from Belgrade University. He graduated magna cum laude and achieved dozens of awards and honors as the top student in the Class of 1987. One of his most notable honors was the extraordinary opportunity he was given to complete his medical internship with the University Hospitals in Belgrade. He then completed residencies at Belgrade, Harvard, and New York Universities. He also...

Dr. Joanna Burton is a neurodevelopmental pediatrician at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Burton graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Chicago in 1994. She then taught bilingual special education in Washington, DCfor 5 years. She received an MD/PhD in 2008 from the University of Illinois, with the PhD in speech and hearing science, focusing on language acquisition. She then trained in general pediatrics at the University of Maryland Medical Center before receiving specialized training in neurodevelopmental...

Dr. Cabahug is the Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Fellowship Program and a physician for the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Also, she is an instructor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Philippines Cabahug earned her B.S. in physical therapy at the University of the Philippines in 1994, and her medical degree at St. Luke’s-WHQ Memorial, Philippines in 2000. She completed a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residency at the Philippine General Hospital in 2005. She was awarded a UN-Merck scholarship to pursue her postgraduate diploma in gerontology and geriatrics at the University of Malta in 2004. In 2009, she finished her internship in...

Dr. George Capone is a research scientist and director of the Down Syndrome Clinic and Research Center (DSCRC) at Kennedy Krieger Institute and is also an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Capone attended college at Wesleyan University and worked as a research assistant at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston before obtaining his medical degree from the University of Connecticut in 1983. After a residency and fellowship in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Dr. Capone came to Baltimore in 1988 to pursue a fellowship in neurobiology research at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Capone currently serves as the director of Kennedy...

Michael Cataldo, Ph.D., is the director of the Department of Behavioral Psychology at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Maryland.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Cataldo attended the University of Rochester and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1968. He continued his education at the University of Kansas at Lawrence where he received his master’s degree in child development in 1971 and his doctorate in child development and psychology in 1974.
Since 1975, Dr. Cataldo has been the director of the Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He has taught at Johns Hopkins School of...

Dr. Kannie Chan is an assistant professor in the F.M. Kirby Research Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She holds a joint appointment as assistant professor at the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at Johns Hopkins.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Kannie Chan attended The University of Hong Kong, where she received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of philosophy degree. Her thesis focused on the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. She conducted post-doctoral research in biomaterials and medical imaging with a focus on MRI at Department of Radiology at Johns Hopkins in 2010. Then she joined the F.M. Kirby Research Center as an instructor in 2013, and currently serves as an assistant...

Dr. Vikram Chib is an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Chib obtained his bachelor's degree in bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, and earned a master of science degree and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University. Following his Ph.D., Dr. Chib was a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellow at Advanced Telecommunications Research (ATR) in Kyoto, Japan. Before coming to Johns Hopkins, he was a postdoctoral scholar in the Division of Biology and Biological Engineering...

Dr. James Christensen is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an associate professor (part-time) of physical medicine and rehabilitation and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Christensen attended Nebraska Wesleyan University before attending medical school at the University of Nebraska. He came to Johns Hopkins in 1975 for a residency in pediatrics, and completed a fellowship in developmental pediatrics at KKI. Dr. Christensen also completed the Sinai-Johns Hopkins physical medicine and rehabilitation residency in 1992. Dr. Christensen twice received the Golden Goniometer Award (from the Sinai-Johns Hopkins Physical Medicine and...

Jean Christianson is the training coordinator for the Department of Social Work. Her clinical work is in the neurorehabilitation program. She is also an adjunct clinical associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Biographical Sketch:

Jean Christianson graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1971, with a bachelor's of arts in social welfare. She received her master's degree in social work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 1973. Following a maternal and child health-sponsored master's level field placement at Kennedy Krieger Institute, she worked as a clinical social worker in the institute's inpatient program.
Jean left Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1978 for a position as a...

Robin Church is the vice president for educational programs and the executive director of Kennedy Krieger school programs where she administers education programs at our Fairmount and Greenspring campuses and in our four public/private partnership schools. The Kennedy Krieger School has been recognized nationally as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Church received her bachelor's degree from Lesley College in 1970, and continued her education, receiving a master's degree from Teachers College of Columbia University in 1971. After working as a teacher of students with emotional disorders, learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities, Dr. Church received a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University in 1985.
Before assuming the role of vice president for educational programs, Dr. Church was the assistant vice...

Dr. Cohen is a research associate at the Center for Genetic Muscle Disorders at Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Cohen obtained her undergraduate degree from State University of New York at Buffalo and her doctoral degree in pharmacology from University of Maryland. Her thesis work focused on identifying genomic elements that regulate selective gene expression at neuromuscular synapses. Dr. Cohen completed postdoctoral fellowship training at the NIH where she studied the function of proteins making up the nuclear envelope and developed transgenic mouse models for disorders of the...

Anne Comi, MD, is the director of the Hunter Nelson Sturge-Weber Center and an associate professor in the Division of Neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Comi is the director of the Hunter Nelson Sturge-Weber Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She graduated from SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine and received her training in pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Buffalo and her child neurology training at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Her clinical specialization is in the treatment of the neurological aspects of Sturge-Weber syndrome and other capillary malformation related disorders.

Dr. Crockett graduated from Auburn University in 1993 with a bachelor's of arts in psychology. She received her doctoral degree in 1999 in the experimental analysis of behavior from Auburn University. Dr. Crockett completed a pre-doctoral internship at Bancroft in Haddonfield, New Jersey. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She was a two-year research fellow...

Cecilia Davoli is the outpatient medical director at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is an associate professor in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and an associate professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Davoli graduated in 1980 from the College of William and Mary with a bachelor's of science in biology. She continued her education at Georgetown University School of Medicine where she received her medical degree in 1987. Following her graduation, she did a residency in pediatrics at the University of Virginia Medical Center from 1987 to 1990, and a fellowship in developmental pediatrics at Kennedy Krieger Institute from 1990 to 1993. Dr. Davoli received her master's of...

Dr. Martha Bridge Denckla is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She previously served as the director of the Developmental Cognitive Neurology Clinic. She is also a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Denckla graduated summa cum laude from Bryn Mawr College and went on to graduate cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1962, where she trained with Dr. Norman Geschwind in behavioral neurology. Dr. Denckla served residencies at Beth Israel Hospital and Veterans Administration Hospital, both in Boston, as well as Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC. After positions in neurology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York...

Elizabeth DiPietro's role in the nursing department is multi-dimensional, with a focus on staff education and clinical practice. She coordinates nursing student placements, follows evidence based research and clinical practice, and writes policies and procedures, as well as coordinates with Johns Hopkins Children's Center to ensure current practice, and implement new clinical products.

Biographical Sketch:

Elizabeth DiPietro obtained her BSN in 1990 and MSN in 1994, both from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. She is a certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse as well as a board certified Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist. Elizabeth DiPietro has been employed in the nursing department at Kennedy Krieger Institute for 26 years.

Dr. Joshua Ewen is a pediatric neurologist, developmentalist and electroencephalographer. He is director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratoryand Research Neurophysiology Laboratory at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor in both the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Ewen attended Brown University and Tulane University School of Medicine, from which he graduated in 2000. He received training in general pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and then was one of the first graduates of the Kennedy Krieger/Johns Hopkins program in neurodevelopmental disabilities. He subsequently took a year of training inspecialized training in clinical neurophysiology/epilepsy (Johns Hopkins). He is currently a neurologist at...

S. Ali Fatemi, M.D., is a pediatric neurologist and the director of the Division of Neurogenetics and the Moser Center for Leukodystrophies, and an investigator at the Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Fatemi is also an associate professor of neurology and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Fatemi received his medical degree from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria in 1999. After graduation, he served as a researcher and lecturer at the Institute for Medical Chemistry in Vienna and completed an internship in pediatrics at the Vienna General Hospital. He was recruited by Dr. Hugo W. Moser as a post-doctoral fellow in neurogenetics and neuroimaging research at Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2001. During this initial period at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Dr...

Dr. Findling is the Vice President of Psychiatric Services and Research at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also the Director of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, a Vice Chair in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and a Professor (PAR) at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Findling is working to foster and integrate the faculties, services and research opportunities at Kennedy Krieger, Johns Hopkins Hospital and the affiliated programs at Bayview Medical Center.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Findling did his undergraduate work at Johns Hopkins University and went to medical school at the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Findling then completed training in Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry as part of the “Triple Board” joint training program at Mt. Sinai in New York. He subsequently earned his Masters of Business Administration degree at a joint program run by the London School of Economics, NYU Stern, and HEC Paris called “Trium...

Dr. Gerring is an attending physician at Kennedy Krieger Institute and a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. She is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Gerring completed undergraduate studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and received her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in 1968. She completed a pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and completed a general and child psychiatry residency at Payne Whitney Clinic/Cornell Medical Center. She is Board-Certified in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Gerring is the Medical Director of the Child...

Dr. Peter A. Girolami is the program director for the pediatric feeding disorders program. He is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Girolami earned a doctorate in clinical psychology in 2005 at West Virginia University. He completed a pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and in the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Girolami has been with the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program since 2002, working with children with feeding difficulties, intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders. He is currently a member of the faculty...

Dr. Melissa C. Goldberg is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Goldberg received her bachelor's of arts in psychology in 1990 from Washington University in St. Louis and her master's of education in counseling psychology in 1992 from Harvard University. Dr. Goldberg received her doctorate in developmental psychology in 1998 from McMaster University. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Goldberg also took research internships in the cognitive neuroscience laboratory at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the...

Gary Goldstein is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also a Professor of neurology and pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a professor of environmental health sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Goldstein received his medical degree from the University of Chicago. He completed residencies in pediatrics (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis), neurology (Stanford, Palo Alto) and child neurology (Johns Hopkins) and was Director of the pediatric neurology program at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) before returning to Baltimore to lead Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Dr. Grace is a behavioral psychologist with special interest and training in the assessment and treatment of behavioral challenges among children who are diagnosed with a broad range of developmental disorders. These include diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorders, Intellectual Disabilities, Developmental Delays, and Down syndrome. Behavioral concerns include aggression, tantrums, elopement, and noncompliance, as well as skills deficits affecting areas...

Dr. Marco Grados is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

After completing his undergraduate and medical training in Lima, Peru, Dr. Grados came to Detroit for an internship in internal medicine and a residency in psychiatry at the Henry Ford Health Systems. He came to Baltimore in 1994 as child psychiatry fellow, chief resident in child psychiatry at Johns Hopkins and psychiatry faculty at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Grados also obtained a master's of public health (M.P.H.) in genetic epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins School...

Dr. Bradley Grant is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.Dr. Grant practices at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress and Outpatient Psychiatry, where he treats children and adolescents with a range of psychiatric diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, OCD, behavioral disorders and autism.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Grant is a Maryland native. He attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as a University Scholar and received his medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Prior to joining the faculty at Kennedy Krieger, he completed both his general psychiatry and child psychiatry fellowship at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Grasmick is a faculty member at the Kennedy-Krieger Institute developing an innovative fellowship program to prepare administrators as leaders in special education.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Grasmick served as State Superintendent of top-ranked Maryland Public Schools for twenty years, from 1991 until 2011 – serving 24 districts, 1,424 schools, and 869,113 students. She began her career as a classroom teacher at the William S. Baer School for the Deaf in Baltimore City before serving as principal and as associate superintendent in Baltimore County. Dr. Grasmick received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Towson University; her Master’s...

Dr. Hilary E. Gwynn is an instructor on the medical staff at Kennedy Krieger Institute in the Division of Neurology and Developmental Medicine. She teaches medical trainees and provides patient care at the Center for Development and Learning and on the Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit. She is also the site coordinator for the Johns Hopkins pediatric resident developmental disabilities rotation at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Gwynn earned her medical degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland in 2000 and completed her pediatrics residency there in 2003. She subsequently joined the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2003 to attend the fellowship in neurodevelopmental disabilities through the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Since graduation from the fellowship program in 2007, she has been an active member of the medical...

Dr. Louis Hagopian is a research scientist and Program Director of the Neurobehavioral Programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. This includes the Neurobehavioral Unit, which provides intensive inpatient treatment for individuals with intellectual disabilities, who exhibit self-injury, aggression, and other problem behavior. He is a Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Hagopian received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He completed a pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and in the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Hagopian’s work involves the integration of clinical service, research, training and advocacy for individuals with intellectual and...

Dr. Jacqueline Harris (nee Weissman) is the director of the Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor in neurology at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Harris received her BA with Honors in English Language and Literature and Neurobiology from The University of Chicago. She earned an MD from Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University and an MS in Clinical Research Scholars Program from Case Western Reserve University.
She completed a residency in pediatrics at the Children's Medical Center at UT Southwestern.
Dr. Harris was chief resident in the Neurodevelopmental...

Dr. Harrison serves as staff psychiatrist at the Family Centerat Kennedy Krieger Institute, where she is a consultant to the "Birth to Five" team. She is the Clinical Director of the Behavioral Health Integration in Primary Pediatric Care program, which provides consultation and training to pediatric providers throughout the state of Maryland. She also serves as an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Harrison received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Harvard University and her medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School (now Geisel School of Medicine). She completed an internship in Pediatrics at the Floating Hospital, New England Medical Center, Boston. Her adult psychiatry residency training was at the University of Maryland and Child Psychiatry training at Hopkins, where she was chief resident. She completed a National Health Services payback in Southern...

Dr. Herman received her bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and continued her education at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where she received her doctoral degree in 2005. She did her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in child clinical and pediatric psychology. Dr. Herman has been licensed in the state of Maryland since 2007, and became the...

Dr. Hoon received a bachelor's of science from Davidson College in 1974, and a medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1978. After a pediatric residency at Kosair-Children's Hospital in Louisville and two years in private practice, he completed a neonatology fellowship at British Columbia Children's Hospital and a one-year fellowship in medical genetics at the Affiliated Hospitals in Vancouver, Canada. In 1988, he came to Baltimore where he completed a fellowship...

Dr. Daniel Hoover is a clinical child and adolescent psychologist at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute. In this position he directs the center’s postgraduate psychology training program, supervises staff, and is a member of the clinical management team. He coordinates the Horizons clinic, overseeing the treatment of children with developmental disabilities and psychological trauma. Dr. Hoover has a faculty appointment in the department of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Following his undergraduate training at Brigham Young University, Dr. Hoover received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of Kentucky in 1992. He then completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in child and adolescent psychology at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry in Topeka, Kansas. Remaining on the faculty of the Menninger Clinic for 15 years, he served as director of the child psychology department and director of psychology training, as...

Dr. Hope graduated from Louisiana State University where she received her master's degree and then her doctoral degree in 2001. Her concentration of study was in clinical psychology, both pediatric and adult behavioral medicine. Her minor field of study was in psychopharmacology and school psychology. She completed her pre-doctoral internship training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Hope has been a licensed psychologist in the state...

Dr. Hua received his master's (2005) and doctoral (2009) degrees in biomedical engineering and electrical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. His doctoral training centered on the development of novel MRI technologies for in vivo physiological imaging in the brain, such as protein content and cerebral blood volume.
After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Radiology at the Johns Hopkins University from 2009 to 2010, Dr. Hua became a research...

Dr. Huete received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Louisiana State University in 2000. He completed a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship in behavioral psychology and pediatrics at Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In addition to his current appointments with Kennedy Krieger and Johns Hopkins, Dr. Huete has an adjunct appointment in the Department of Psychology at Towson University. Dr. Huete is a...

Dr. Lisa Jacobson is a licensed psychologist and pediatric neuropsychologist in the Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute. She also holds an appointment as an assistant professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

After graduating from Davidson College with a BA in Psychology, Dr. Jacobson completed her MEd and EdS in School Psychology at the College of William & Mary in Virginia in 1998. She then worked as a school psychologist before completing her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, in 2008. She completed her clinical internship in neurodevelopment and neuropsychology at the Mailman Center for Child Development, University of Miami...

Dr Mahim Jain is a member of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Jain has a strong clinical and research interest in treating and understanding disorders of low bone density.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Jain received his bachelor’s degree from The University of Notre Dame, graduating summa cum laude in biochemistry. He completed his medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine and completed a Ph.D. from The University of Oxford, focused on using statistical and computational methods to identify genetic variants that contribute to both rare and complex human traits. During that time he was a Howard-Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health...

Na Young Ji is a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Kennedy Krieger Institute's school programs. She is also an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Ji received her medical degree from Catholic University of Daegu in Daegu, South Korea, in 2000. She completed her internship training at Catholic University of Korea in Seoul, Korea, in 2001. She moved to Boston after her internship and began her research at the psychiatry neuroimaging laboratory within the Department of Psychiatry at Havard Medical School. She was accepted to the general psychiatry residency training program at University of North Carolina Hospitals in...

Dr. Michael Johnston is a research scientist, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also a professor of neurology and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Johnston attended Franklin and Marshall College before going on to medical school at the University of Pittsburgh, from which he graduated cum laude in 1971. His post-doctoral training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital included work in pediatrics, neurology, pharmacology and pediatric neurology. After teaching positions and research work at the University of Michigan Medical School and University of Michigan Hospitals, Dr. Johnston returned to Baltimore in 1988....

Dr. Jones is currently the administrative laboratory manager for the Genetics Laboratories at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, as well as a research associate in neurology at Johns Hopkins. He is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the American Association for Clinical Chemistry and the Clinical Laboratory Management Association.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Jones received a bachelor's of science from the University of Manchester (UK) in 1985, and a doctoral degree from the University of Manchester in 1989. After obtaining his doctoral degree, Dr. Jones spent a year as a Royal Society Fellow at Shinshu Universuty in Matsumoto, Japan. In 1990, he was appointed a research fellow in the Department of Surgery at the University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMAB). In 1994, Dr. Jones became an assistant professor of surgery at UMAB....

Dr. Shilpa Kadam is a research scientist at the Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger. She is an assistant professor of neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is also the director of the mouse in-vivo electrophysiology laboratory at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Biographical Sketch:

Shilpa Kadam completed her medical internship at Sanjeevan General Hospital in Pune, India. After graduation, she trained/worked as a medical officer at the Pune Institute of Neurology in the intensive care and high dependency units. She completed her PhD in Neuroscience in the United States in the field of epilepsy research in the laboratory of Dr. F. E. Dudek (University of Utah School of Medicine), in 2006. She did her post-doctoral fellowship training in the Department...

Dr. Kalb received his PhD from the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Stuart. During his studies, he received an NIMH Children’s Mental Health Services research fellowship, the Morton Kramer award for excellence in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and was named a Wendy Klag Center Scholar.

Sujatha Kannan is a research scientist at the Hugo Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also a faculty member in pediatric anesthesiology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests include imaging and targeted therapy for perinatal brain injury using nanotechnology, with a special emphasis on cerebral palsy and autism.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Kannan completed her medical training at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in India, and a pediatric residency followed by a fellowship in pediatric critical care at the Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit in 2003, where she remained as a faculty member until July 2011. She joined Johns Hopkins University and Kennedy Krieger Institute in August 2011. She is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric critical care...

Joan Kaufman, Ph.D. is Director of Research at the Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She also holds appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins.

Biographical Sketch:

Joan Kaufman, Ph.D. received her bachelors degree from Tufts University where she developed an interdisciplinary individualized major in Holocaust Studies. She then received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Yale University, and completed a post-doctorate fellowship in biological methods in child psychiatry at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC). She served on the faculty at WPIC for five years before...

Dr. Amy Keefer is the supervising clinical psychologist within the Center for Autism and Related Disorders and coordinates the Post-Doctoral Residency in Clinical Child Psychology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in the Department of Neuropsychology and the Center for Autism and Related Disorders. She is an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Keefer is a licensed psychologist and is board certified in cognitive and behavioral psychology.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Keefer completed her undergraduate education at Messiah College in 1997 and received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Drexel University in 2003. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in clinical psychology at Philhaven Behavioral Healthcare and was then employed at Philhaven’s Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Keefer obtained a position at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2007 and her current duties include clinical care, training, and...

Dr. Korth earned her Bachelors degree at the University of Michigan where she gained a love for rehabilitation while working in pediatric and adult physical therapy clinics. This led to a job in the Department of Neurology of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where she assisted in research on neuroplasticity using body-weight supported treadmill training. This experience with rehabilitation medicine motivated her to attend medical school at Michigan State...

Dr. Lisa Kratz is the director of the Biochemical Genetics Laboratory at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Kratz received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Maryland College in 1985, and her doctorate in human genetics from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1989. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in biochemical genetics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in 1991, and was the assistant director of the Biochemical Diseases Detection Laboratory at Yale University from 1991 to 1993. Dr. Kratz was certified by the American Board of Medical...

Dr. Kurtz received her doctoral degree in psychology from the Claremont Graduate School in 1991. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in behavioral psychology and pediatrics at Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In additional to her current appointments at Kennedy Krieger and Johns Hopkins, Dr. Kurtz has an adjunct appointment in psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Kurtz is a licensed psychologist in...

Bachchu Lal, Ph.D., is a research associate in the Department of Neurology at Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Lal received a bachelor's of science in zoology, botany and chemistry from Lucknow University in Lucknow, UP, India in 1977, followed by a master's of science in zoology and a doctorate in zoology from Kanpur University in Kanpur, UP, India. Dr. Lal completed a post-doctoral fellowship from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine with the Department of Neurology at Kennedy Krieger Institute and joined the faculty of Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2001 as a research...

Dr. Janet Lam is a neurologist in the Department of Neurology and Developmental Medicine at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Lam received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology and psychology at Allegheny College. She then earned a Master of Health Science degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Afterwards, she pursued her medical degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia followed by a general pediatrics residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She completed her pediatric neurology fellowship at the Children’s National Medical Center...

Dr. Eboni Lance is a neurodevelopmental physician at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Lance received her undergraduate degree from Princeton University and received her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She did residency in general pediatrics at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and additional specialized residency training in neurodevelopmental disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She received additional research training at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and has a Ph.D. in...

Dr. Landa obtained her master's degree at the Pennsylvania State University and her doctorate at the University of Washington. She completed post-doctoral training in psychiatric genetics at Johns Hopkins. She is the recipient of the NIMH Shannon Award for excellent and innovative research, as well as the Rita Rudel Prize for Developmental Neuropsychology. Dr. Landa is also the recipient of the 2009 Alumni Recognition Award from the College of Human Health and Development of...

John J. Laterra is a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also a professor in the Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is the director of the Division of Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Laterra received his bachelor's of arts Phi Beta Kappa from Washington University in St. Louis, where he majored in physics. He then attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in their medical scientist training program, where he obtained first a doctorate in microbiology in 1982, followed by a medical degree in 1984. He was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha in 1984. He served an internship in internal medicine, as well as a residency and chief...

Dr. Kiely Law is the research director of the Interactive Autism Network and is responsible for developing and implementing the network's research program. She is also a research associate in the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Biographical Sketch:

With a background in medicine and public health, Dr. Law approaches ASD-related research from both an individual and community perspective. She received her medical and public health degrees from Johns Hopkins University and then completed an internship in pediatrics at the University of Maryland Medical Systems in 2002.
In addition to her professional experience, she has been impacted personally by autism. At the age of three, her son was diagnosed with autism at Kennedy...

Dr. Leppert received her undergraduate degree in biology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She received her medical training at the national Universities of Ireland, University College Cork, where she earned her M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O. degrees. She completed a residency in pediatrics at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore MD, and joined Kennedy Krieger in 1992 with a fellowship in developmental pediatrics through the Johns Hopkins University School of...

Dr. Doris Leung is a member of the clinical and research staff at the Center for Genetic Muscle Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Leung obtained her undergraduate degree from Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude in biochemical sciences. She obtained her medical degree from the Duke University School of Medicine. While in medical school, she completed a year-long research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health as part of the Clinical Research Training Program. She completed her neurology residency and clinical neurophysiology fellowship at Stanford Hospital and Clinics.
Dr. Leung...

Audrey Leviton received her Bachelor's of Arts from George Washington University in 1973. She went on to receive her Master's Degree in social work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 1978. She came to Kennedy Krieger in 1983.
Leviton is currently an assistant vice president of Kennedy Krieger Institute and the executive director of PACT: Helping Children with Special Needs, an affiliate of the Kennedy Krieger Institute. PACT provides...

Judith Levy is the former director and current associate director of the Department of Social Work. She is the chair of the Ethics Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an adjunct clinical associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

Biographical Sketch:

Judith Levy graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1967, with a Bachelor's of Arts in psychology. In 1971, she received her Master's Degree in social work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. In 2002, she completed a Master's of Arts in applied and professional ethics. She has spent nearly her entire career in the field of developmental disabilities. She has worked at the Kennedy Krieger Institute since 1975, first as a clinician, then as an...

Dr. Thomas Ley is a psychologist in the Department of Neuropsychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also a part-time instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Ley received his bachelor's of science in psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1974. His graduate training included both clinical and school psychology, receiving his master's of arts in clinical psychology from Roosevelt University in 1978, and his Ph.D. in school psychology from Howard University in 1983. Dr. Ley completed two internships, one in school/clinical child psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the other in clinical...

Dr. Yunqing Li is a research scientist at the Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger. She is also a faculty member in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Li pursued her undergraduate and graduate education at the Yunnan University in China. She then held a teaching position at the Kunming Medical College in China before pursuing her doctoral degree in medical genetics from Sichuan University. She came to the United States in 2003 to complete postdoctoral fellowships in the Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and in the Department of Neurology at Kennedy Krieger Institute. In...

Dr. Xu Li graduated with a master's degree from Zhejiang University in China in 2004. He then obtained a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2010. His thesis focused on the development of magnetoacoustic tomography with magnetic induction for imaging electrical properties of biological tissues. After that, he started his fellowship training in the F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging at the Kennedy...

Steven E. Lindauer, PhD, is the assistant director of the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Lindauer received his bachelor's of arts in psychology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in 1995. Dr. Lindauer joined the faculty of Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1996 as a behavior data specialist before becoming a clinical specialist shortly after. He left the institute to earn a master's degree in human development and a doctorate in developmental and child psychology from the University of Kansas, where he was also a research assistant. At the...

Dr. Paul Lipkin is the Director of Medical Informatics and the Interactive Autism Network at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He also provides clinical services in the Center for Development and Learning at the Institute. Dr. Lipkin is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Lipkin received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and attended medical school at Rutgers- New Jersey Medical School. He received his general pediatric training, focusing on primary care, at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, followed by subspecialty training in developmental pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is board-certified in Pediatrics, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics....

Guanshu Liu is an Assistant Professor in the F.M. Kirby Center at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He holds a joint appointment as Assistant Professor in the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology at Johns Hopkins University.

Biographical Sketch:

Guanshu Liu, Ph.D., is currently a tenure track Assistant Professor in the F.M. Kirby Center at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at Johns Hopkins Medical School. Dr. Guanshu Liu earned his doctoral degree in biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Then he joined Dr. Peter van Zijl's imaging center at Johns Hopkins University in 2008 as a Research Associate.

Dr. López-Arvizu is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She currently serves as the medical director of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Clinic, as well as a psychiatrist for the Outpatient Neurobehavioral Unit and Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic. Dr. López-Arvizu is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University, as well as a member of the medical staff in the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. López-Arvizu received her medical degree from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in 1995. She served as an intern in internal medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, a resident in psychiatry at the University of Maryland Sheppard Pratt Hospital, where she was chief resident, and as a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. For the past several years, Dr. López-Arvizu has...

Dr. Mahone received his PhD from the State University of New York at Albany in 1990, and completed an APA-accredited internship in clinical psychology at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland in 1991. After receiving his doctorate, Dr. Mahone completed a post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry in 1993. Dr. Mahone a licensed psychologist in Maryland, and is board-...

Dr. Nicholas Marsh-Armstrong is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Marsh-Armstrong graduated magna cum laude with his bachelor's degree in chemistry and philosophy at Haverford, where he won the Undergraduate Award in Analytical Chemistry. He went on to pursue graduate work in neuroscience and cellular and developmental biology at Harvard, receiving his doctoral degree in 1994. He then served as a post-doctoral fellow at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in the Department of Embryology until early this year, when he came...

Dr. Rebecca Martin is the Manager of Clinical Education and Training at the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an Assistant Professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Martin received her Bachelors of Science in Occupational Therapy from Boston University in 2001 and her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Rocky Mountain University of Allied Health Professions in 2008. Prior to joining the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Dr. Martin worked in brain injury rehabilitation in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Martin joined Kennedy Krieger in 2005 as a Senior Occupational Therapist in the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury. Since 2010, Dr...

Megan Mayforth graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2002, with a bachelor's of arts in social work. She received her master's degree in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work in 2003 as an advanced standing student. Megan is a former Kennedy Krieger Institute trainee. She completed her master's level training as a maternal and child health trainee on the Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit where she continues to work...

Dr. McMahon obtained his bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of Richmond and earned a doctoral degree in physical chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign specializing in solid-state NMR spectroscopy. He was awarded an NIH NRSA postdoctoral fellowship under Robert Griffin, Director of the Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He began working in the field of MRI research in the F.M. Kirby Research Center for...

Dr. Menon received her medical training at Madras Medical College in Chennai, India, graduating with the bachelor of medicine/bachelor of science (MBBS) degree in 1991. She subsequently completed pediatric residency training at the Cook County Children's Hospital in Chicago, IL, in 1997 and joined the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2003 as a resident in neurodevelopmental disabilities through the Johns Hopkins University. Since graduating from the residency program in 2007,...

Ann Moser is a research associate in neurology and co-director of the Peroxisomal Diseases Laboratory at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University.

Biographical Sketch:

Ann Moser received a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry in 1961 from Radcliffe College. During the time she was an undergraduate, she was a technician in Dr. Konrad Bloch’s laboratory at Harvard University. After working as a technician in laboratories in different hospitals, Moser joined the John F. Kennedy Institute (later Kennedy Krieger Institute) in 1976 as a senior technician. In 1982, she became an assistant in neurology. Since 1991, Moser has been...

Dr. Mostofsky received his medical degree in 1990 through the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute-Albany Medical College six-year program, where he won the Jack Spitalny Prize for exceptional achievement in pediatrics. He went on to an internship and residencies in pediatrics and pediatric neurology at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Mostofsky first came to Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1995 for a fellowship in the Department of Developmental Cognitive Neurology, and stayed on...

Dr. Linda Myers is the vice president of School Autism Services, Research, and Professional Development for the Kennedy Krieger Institute. In addition she holds a faculty position as an assistant professor in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University (JHU), as well as a Faculty appointment with the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Myers holds a master’s and a doctoral degree in Special Education from Johns Hopkins University. She has over 25 years of experience in the field of special education with expertise in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
In her current position, Dr. Myers is responsible for organizing the delivery of comprehensive high quality evidence-based practices for students with autism in the areas of curriculum, instruction, employee training and professional development in autism,...

Dr. SakkuBai Naidu is a research scientist in the Department of Neurogenetics at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also a Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Naidu received her undergraduate and medical training at Madras Medical College in India. She served internships and residencies in Pediatrics at hospitals in Madras and in Brooklyn before accepting a fellowship in Pediatric Neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. She worked in hospitals in Chicago at the University of Illinois and Loyola University in Maywood, IL. In 1983, she trained in Neonatal EEG/Neurology at Port Royal Hospital in Paris....

Dr. Mary Beth Nebel is a research scientist in the Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research at Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI). Mary Beth also holds an appointment as an instructor in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Nebel obtained a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University and went on to pursue her doctoral degree in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University. After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in the Laboratory for Neurocognitive and Imaging Research at KKI from 2010-2015, Dr. Nebel joined the faculty at Kennedy Krieger in the Center...

Dr. Julia O'Connor is a research scientist and psychologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is the director of day treatment services for the Neurobehavioral Unit Outpatient Clinic in the Department of Behavioral Psychology. She is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. O'Connor received her undergraduate training at Rutgers College - Rutgers University where she received her bachelor's degree in psychology. She completed her master's and doctoral training at the State University of New York in Binghamton in clinical psychology where she worked with children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders. She then completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of...

Dr. Paasch received her doctorate in clinical psychology with specialization in child clinical psychology from Louisiana State University in 2010. She completed her internship and two years of post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Paasch is a licensed psychologist in the state of Maryland, and provides training and supervision to pre-doctoral interns and post-doctoral fellows in...

Dr. James Pekar is a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute and is the manager and research coordinator of the F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging. He is also a professor in the Russel H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at John Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Pekar completed his undergraduate degree in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and went on for his doctoral degree in biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1988. After fellowships at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Dr. Pekar served as an assistant professor of neurology and director of the neurobiological magnetic resonance laboratory at the Institute for Cognitive and...

Dr. Perkins-Parks is a child psychologist with special interest in the application of empirically supported, behavioral and cognitive behavioral treatment for children with challenging behaviors. Her primary clinical and research interest include behavior problems in toddlers and preschool children, early intervention and prevention, parent and teacher training, ADHD and behavioral assessment. Dr. Perkins-Parks graduated from Creighton University with a degree in psychology...

Dr. Jamie Perry is a developmental pediatrician in the Division of Neurology and Developmental Medicine at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also a clinical instructor in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a member of the consulting medical staff at St. Agnes Hospital.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Perry received her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed a masters of public health at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. She completed residency training in pediatrics at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, and a fellowship in neurodevelopmental disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. After completing her fellowship training, Dr. Perry held the position of associate medical...

Dr. Jonathan Pevsner is a professor and research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He also holds a primary faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Pevsner received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Haverford College and his doctoral degree in pharmacology and molecular sciences from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He pursued post-doctoral training at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and joined the faculty of Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1995.

Dr. Frank S. Pidcock is Vice President of Rehabilitation at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Director of the Pediatric Rehabilitation Division in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins Hospital and University School of Medicine. He is an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and an associate professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Pidcock attended the Johns Hopkins University before going on to medical school at the Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1977. His post-doctoral training includes a pediatric residency at Hahnemann University Hospital from 1979 to 1981, a developmental pediatrics fellowship at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children from 1979 to 1981 and a rehabilitation medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital from 1991...

Dr. Joseph P. Pillion is an audiologist and director of the Department of Audiology at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an assistant professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Pillion received his BA from Western Michigan University and his MA and Ph.D. from the Ohio State University. Dr. Pillion completed a post-doctoral fellowship in audiology at Kennedy Krieger from 1982 to 1984. He was Senior Audiologist at Kennedy Krieger Institute before becoming the Clinical Manager of Audiology in 1996 and the Director of the Department of Audiology in 1997. He is also an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and...

Dr. Alison Pritchard is a licensed and board-certified clinical psychologist and research scientist in the Department of Neuropsychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She serves as the program director of the Neuropsychology Research Lab and the Neuropsychology Research Training Program, as well as program coordinator of the Executive Function Clinic. Dr. Pritchard also holds an appointment as assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

After graduating from Kenyon College with a B.A. in Psychology, Dr. Pritchard completed her graduate training in clinical psychology, with an emphasis in child development, at the University of Delaware, earning her Ph.D. in 2006. She worked as a pre-doctoral intern at the Devereux Foundation, a residential treatment program for children and adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral dysfunction. In 2008, Dr. Pritchard completed her post-doctoral fellowship in clinical...

Pramit Rastogi is a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Kennedy Krieger Institute's Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic and Neurobehavioral Unit (NBU). He is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Rastogi completed his medical school at the University of Delhi in India. He then completed a masters in public health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2007. He worked as a research coordinator for one year with the Division of Neuropsychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins. He completed his adult psychiatry residency at Georgetown University Hospital (2008-2012) where he was the outpatient chief resident. Dr. Rastogi completed his...

Dr. Albert Recio is a physician in the paralysis restoration program at the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI), and the medical director for the aquatics medicine program at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Born in the Philippines, Dr. Recio graduated cum laude-first place with his medical degree in 1997 from the Perpetual Help College of Medicine in Biñan, Laguna. He undertook his internship training at the Perpetual Help Medical Center from 1997-1998. At Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, Illinois from 2002-2003, Dr. Recio completed his general internship. While at the Harvard Medical School/Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts from 2003-2006, he...

Dr. Richard Redett is co-director of the Brachial Plexus Clinic at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also the director of pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery and the Johns Hopkins Cleft Lip and Palate Center, as well as an assistant professor in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the Division of Pediatric Surgery and the Department of Pediatrics.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Redett specializes in cleft lip and palate surgery, facial paralysis, brachial plexus injuries and pediatric burn surgery. He completed his general surgery residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 2000, as well as a residency in plastic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital combined with University of Maryland Shock Trauma in 2002. From 2002 to 2003, Dr. Redett practiced as a fellow of pediatric plastic surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Ontario, Canada. He earned a...

Dr. Reesman is a board certified clinical neuropsychologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Reesman founded and directs the Deafness Related Evaluations and More (DREAM) Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Reesman’s research, practice, and program development seeks to improve the accessibility of the highest quality psychological services. She leads the nation’s first and only accredited psychology internship track to prepare future psychologists to meet the behavioral needs of deaf and hard of hearing children and families. Dr. Reesman serves on the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Disability Issues in Psychology. Dr. Reesman received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Reesman received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Gallaudet University in 2008, and completed her pre-doctoral internship training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. After receiving her doctorate, Dr. Reesman completed a post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Dr. Reesman is a licensed psychologist in Maryland and she...

Lisa Reichenbach is a psychologist in the Department of Neuropsychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an instructor in psychiatry (part time) at the Johns Hopkins University.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Reichenbach graduated from Yale University in 1976 with a bachelor's of arts in psychology and philosophy. She then worked for two years as a research assistant in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Dr. Reichenbach studied clinical psychology at Vanderbilt University and received her doctoral degree in 1984. She completed her internship at Long Island Jewish - Hillside Medical Center. Dr. Reichenbach worked as a psychologist at the...

Dr. Richman received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in developmental psychology, continuing her education at Florida State University where she received her master’s degree and her doctoral degree in child clinical psychology and school psychology. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and her post-doctoral fellowship at The Kennedy Krieger Institute and The Johns Hopkins University...

Dr. Robinson attended Northwestern University for her undergraduate and medical education. She completed her residency in Neurological Surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, followed by fellowship training in pediatric neurological surgery at St. Louis Children’s Hospital/Washington University. While at rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital/Case Western Reserve University, she rose to Professor of Neurological Surgery. She moved to...

Dr. Rolider received her doctoral degree in psychology from University of Florida in 2007. Following graduation, Dr. Rolider continued as an assistant scientist at University of Florida where she served as the Clinical Director of the University of Florida Prader-Willi Syndrome Project. Dr. Rolider joined the Neurobehavioral Unit at Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2009. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Psychology Associate in the State of Maryland. She is a...

Dr. Griffin W. Rooker is a research scientist of the Neurobehavioral Unit at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Rooker earned his doctoral degree in psychology (behavior analysis) in 2010. He then completed a post-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and in the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2012. He is a board certified behavior analyst. He is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis and the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis.

Dr. Rosch obtained a BA and MA in Psychology and a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. She completed her clinical internship in Child Clinical Psychology at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, with a primary placement at the Center for ADHD. Dr. Rosch joined the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2011 as a post-doctoral fellow conducting research at the Laboratory for Neurocognitive and Imaging Research and...

Dr. Rybczynski is the medical director of the Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit (PRU) at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is a faculty member at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an instructor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Rybczynski received a bachelor's of arts in history from the University of Mississippi in 1991 and her Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1995. She completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas in 1998. Following her residency, she worked as an attending physician at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. She then spent a year as a consultant pediatrician at Mersey...

Dr. Sadowsky is the clinical director of the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Born in Romania, Dr. Sadowsky attended the Institute of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest from 1983 to 1989. She completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Meridia Huron Hospital/Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH in 1994. She served as chief resident from July 1994 to June 1995. From there, she began a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. She...

Dr. Cynthia Salorio is a neuropsychologist and research scientist in the Department of Neuropsychology and the Director of rehabilitation outcomes and related research within the Department of Rehabilitation. She is also an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Salorio received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology with a specialization in neuropsychology from Washington University in St. Louis. She completed a pre-doctoral internship in neuropsychology and clinical child psychology at the University of California, San Diego, and a post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Salorio is a licensed psychologist in Maryland and is board certified in clinical neuropsychology by...

Dr. Jay Salpekar is a pediatric Neuropsychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Director of the Neuropsychiatry in Epilepsy Program at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Salpekar has A.B. and M.D. degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, and completed an internship and residency in general psychiatry at Barnes Hospital. He then completed a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the Yale University Child Study Center. Dr. Salpekar is involved as a professional advisor for the Epilepsy Foundation and is a fellow of the American Neuropsychiatric Association. Dr. Salpekar has been an academic physician and scholar...

Dr. Jonathan Schmidt is a senior behavior analyst in the Neurobehavioral Unit Inpatient Program at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Schmidt graduated with his doctoral degree in school psychology from the University of South Carolina in 2010. After finishing his coursework, he completed an internship at The May Institute and a postdoctoral fellowship at Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. During both his internship and fellowship, he focused on neuropsychological assessment, as well as assessing and treating problem behavior displayed by individuals with...

Dr. Karen Seymour is an Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Seymour received her undergraduate degree at the University of Notre Dame and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Maryland College Park.
She completed her APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC and completed a two-year National Institutes of Mental Health T32 postdoctoral fellowship focused on learning affective neuroscience techniques at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown...

Dr. Shapiro attended Boston University's six-year combined liberal arts and medical sciences program. After graduation in 1972, he undertook post-doctoral training at the Children's Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, DC, where he was chief resident in pediatrics, and at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is the vice president of training and is an attending physician at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, St. Agnes Hospital and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Silberstein obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1958. He then completed his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Jefferson Medical College Hospital (now the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital) in Philadelphia, PA, in 1963. From 1963 to 1964 he was a National Institute of Health post-doctoral fellow at Jefferson and received his master of science degree in 1964. After returning to Baltimore to...

Dr. Silverman attended the State University of New York at Buffalo, receiving his B.A. in Psychology in 1969 and Ph.D. in 1973. He then spent the next 33 years as a scientist in the Department of Psychology of the New York Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, serving as Department Chief from 1987 until he came to the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) in 2006. Dr. Silverman is directing a large study of aging among adults with Down syndrome that is funded...

Dr. Keith Slifer is the founding director of the Pediatric Psychology Program in the Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr. Slifer is also a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences with a secondary appointment in Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Slifer received his bachelor's degree from Western Maryland College (now William McDaniel College) and continued his education at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) for his master's degree and Florida State University for his doctoral degree. He completed his internship at the Medical College of Pennsylvania in the Department of Psychiatry, which is now part of Drexel University. Dr. Slifer began his employment with Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1980. He...

Dr. Beth Slomine is currently the co-director of the Center for Brain Injury Recovery and the director of training and neuropsychological rehabilitation services within the Department of Neuropsychology at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Slomine is a licensed psychologist and board certified clinical neuropsychologist. She is also a board certified subspecialist in pediatric neuropsychology.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Slomine earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Florida in 1995. She completed a psychology internship at the Brockton/West Roxbury Veteran's Administration Medical Center and Harvard University. Dr. Slomine completed a post-doctoral fellowship in geriatric psychology and neuropsychology at the Philadelphia Geriatric Center. Dr. Slomine serves on the board of directors for the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology and serves as...

Dr. Smith is the director of the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, and a faculty member in the Center for Women's and Children's Health Policy at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Smith received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Colorado with a major in Psychology. He also received his doctoral degree in Special Education from the University of Kansas.

Dr. Smith-Hicks is a neurologist with special qualifications in child neurology and a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is the Medical Director for the Center for Autism and Related Disorders, and the Director of Basic Science Research in Fragile X Syndrome at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She co-directs the Fragile X, SYNGAP1 and Rett Syndrome clinical programs and is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Smith-Hicks completed her Bachelors of Science degree in Biochemistry from the City College of New York (CUNY) and the Medical Scientist Training Program at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she obtained her M.D., Ph.D. in 2000. She trained in Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed her Neurology and Pediatric Neurology training at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2005. She then trained as a...

Paul Sponseller is the chief of pediatric orthopedics at Johns Hopkins Hospital and holds active staff tenure at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also the vice chairman of orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Sponseller is a professor in orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins University.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Sponseller graduated in 1980 with a medical degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He completed his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He continued his education with his fellowship at the Children's Hospital in Boston. Dr. Sponseller also received his master's of science in the business of medicine in 1998 and his master's of business administration in 2000.
Dr....

Dr. Stashinko received her bachelor's of science degree in nursing from Albright College in 1975, her master's of science in maternal and child health nursing from the University of Maryland in 1979, and her doctorate degree from the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on biobehavioral research in children in 1987. Dr. Stashinko was a research associate at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and nurse researcher at the Johns Hopkins Children’s...

As Director, Information Dissemination, Dr. Stone works in concert with the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) leadership team and community partners to ensure wide dissemination of disability related information in multiple formats, and to all stakeholders. In addition she serves as the Training Coordinator for the MCDD’s Pre-Service Training Core function, and the Leadership and Clinical Education Director for the Maternal Child Health Careers/RISE-UP Project, a CDC funded collaborative grant awarded to Kennedy Krieger Institute, providing training and mentorship to undergraduate students interested in public healthKennedy Krieger Institute.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Stone received a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland Baltimore, her master’s in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore, and a doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She currently holds an adjunct faculty position at the University of Maryland Baltimore, School of Medicine, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences.

Dr. Irfan Suleman is an assistant professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His areas of clinical expertise include Pediatric Anesthesia and Pediatric Pain Management. He is a nationally and internationally recognized physician in these fields. Dr. Suleman also serves as the Director of Pediatric Regional Anesthesia, the Director of Pediatric Chronic Pain Interventional Management at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and the Medical Director of Multidisciplinary Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Program at Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Suleman completed his anesthesiology residency training at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and received an “Excellence in Pediatric Anesthesia 2008” award at his graduation. He completed his pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH)/UAMS in 2009. He continued to work as a Pediatric Anesthesiologist at ACH, where he developed a Pediatric Regional Anesthesia program and served as its director . He is board...

Dr. Stacy Suskauer is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is co-director of the Center for Brain Injury Recoveryat the Institute. She is also an associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Suskauer attended Duke University in Durham, North Carolina for her undergraduate and medical education. She completed a combined residency program in pediatrics and physical medicine and rehabilitation at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati. She came to Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins for a pediatric rehabilitation research fellowship and subsequently joined the faculty of these institutions in 2007.
Dr. Suskauer...

Tami Swearingen is the Senior Vice President, Nursing and Patient Services, Nurse Executive at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

Biographical Sketch:

Swearingen received her Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the University of Delaware and went on to obtain her Master's of Art in health care administration/management at the College of Notre Dame. She holds a certification as a Legal Nurse Consultant and has served as an expert witness and completed numerous case reviews across the country. She serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Directors for Nurse.com (Gannett Company). She is a member of the Maryland...

Dr. Elaine Tierney is a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an associate professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Tierney received her bachelor's of arts from the University of Florida and her medical degree at the University of South Florida in 1989. After completing a transitional residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and a general psychiatry residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, she accepted a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She formerly served as the medical director of both Kennedy Krieger's Neurobehavioral Unit and its...

Carol Tiffany received a master's degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University in 2002. She has spent many years in the pharmaceutical industry, performing research in the areas of neurology, as well as pain and inflammation. In 2002 she had a faculty appointment in the IGM at Johns Hopkins Medical Institute where she was manager of a yeast genome project. In 2006 she accepted the position of clinical biochemist in the Peroxisomal Diseases Laboratory...

Dr. Trovato is the director of Inpatient Rehabilitation at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an Assistant Professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Trovato received a bachelor's of science degree from Salem College in 1990 and a medical degree degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 1994. She completed a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Sinai Hospital-Johns Hopkins School of Medicine residency program in 1999, followed by a two-year pediatric rehabilitation fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr...

Maureen is the associate director of the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities (MCDD) at Kennedy Krieger Institute and the founding director of Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law), a MCDD community-based program. Project HEAL is Maryland’s only comprehensive medical-legal partnership, which provides advocacy and legal services to low- and moderate-income families and children with disabilities who receive services at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Maureen is also a core director for Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Innovation and Leadership in Special Education and adjunct faculty at Towson University and the University of Baltimore School of Law. Maureen is a member of Kennedy Krieger Institute’s ethics committee.

Biographical Sketch:

Ms. van Stone received her bachelor of art’s degree in psychology from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA in 1996, her master of science in developmental psychology from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD in 2002, and her Juris Doctor from Whittier Law School in Costa Mesa, CA in 2005. Ms. van Stone began her professional career on the neurobehavioral inpatient unit within the department of behavioral psychology at Kennedy Krieger Institute...

Dr. van Zijl graduated cum laude with a master's degree in inorganic chemistry and continued to obtain a doctoral degree in mathematics and physics. His thesis focused on the description of molecular alignment in magnetic fields and the changes in the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra related to this. After completing fellowships in nuclear magnetic resonance (Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh) and MRI (National Institutes of Health,...

Dr. Ranjit Varghese is the medical director of the Ortho-Cerebral Palsy Program at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also a specialist in pediatric neuromuscular disorders at the Johns Hopkins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Pediatric Division. Dr. Varghese’s areas of clinical interest are the treatment of cerebral palsy and neuromuscular disorders. He also specializes in children’s hip and foot disorders, including clubfoot, toe walking, Perthes Disease, and developmental dysplasia of the hip.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Varghese earned his medical degree from Manipal University, India, where he also did his residency. He earned a master’s degree in Health Science and Clinical Epidemiology from the University of British Columbia, Canada. His training includes fellowships in Pediatric Orthopaedics from the University of British Columbia and the University of Minnesota. He also went on to complete a combined Orthopedics Oncology fellowship at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General...

Dr. Vasa is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and the director of education and training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and is an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Vasa completed her undergraduate training at Colby College and received her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1991. She completed an internal medicine fellowship at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and her adult and child psychiatry training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Vasa is the director of education and training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. In her clinic, she sees children and adolescents with a variety of...

Dr. Hilary Vernon is an attending physician at Kennedy Krieger Institute and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University. She joined the Institute's faculty in 2011, and is board certified in pediatrics, clinical genetics, and clinical biochemical laboratory genetics.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Vernon received her B.A. in biochemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, her M.D. at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/UMDNJ and her Ph.D. at Rutgers University. She completed a combined residency in pediatrics and clinical genetics and a fellowship in clinical laboratory biochemical genetics at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Vernon is board certified in pediatrics, clinical genetics, and clinical biochemical laboratory genetics. She joined the faculty at the Kennedy...

Lee E. Wachtel, MD, is the medical director and an attending child psychiatrist of the Neurobehavioral Unit at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She also directs consultation-liaison psychiatry services for the Rehabilitative Unit. She is an associate professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Wachtel received her undergraduate degree in Romance Languages and Literatures from Princeton University, with a major in French Language and Literature. In 1993, she graduated summa cum laude as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD in 1998. She completed general psychiatry training at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry in Topeka, KS, and at the University of...

Dr. Kathryn Wagner is the director of the Center for Genetic Muscle Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and a Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Wagner obtained her undergraduate degree from Yale University, graduating summa cum laude with honors in biology. She participated in the NIH-funded medical scientist training program and obtained her medical and doctoral degrees at Johns Hopkins. Her thesis work in the laboratory of Richard Huganir, Ph.D., included the original cloning and characterization of the dystrophin-associated protein, dystrobrevin.
She completed her internship in internal medicine and...

Dr. Wang is an attending physician in the Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Clinic at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Wang received his medical degree from Duke University. Following an anesthesiology residency at the University of Michigan, he went on to complete a fellowship in pain medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
He practiced pediatric pain medicine while on faculty at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School for many years, before moving to the Baltimore-Washington area to be closer to his family in 2017. Over that...

Lana Warren is the senior vice president of clinical programs at Kennedy Krieger Institute and is also a part-time instructor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Warren received her undergraduate training in occupational therapy at Western Michigan University. She has a master's degree in health related profession from the University of Pittsburgh and in applied healing arts from Tai Sophia Institute, as well as a doctoral degree in education from the Johns Hopkins University. Her clinical background is in pediatrics, particularly focusing on children with cerebral palsy, brain injury, and learning disabilities. She is...

Dr. Paul Watkins is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has held joint appointments in the Department of Biological Chemistry since 1992, the Center for Human Nutrition in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health since 1994, and the Oncology Center since 2011.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Watkins did his undergraduate, graduate and medical training at Johns Hopkins, receiving a medical degree and doctoral degree in biochemistry in 1978. In the years which followed, he served as both a research associate and medical staff fellow at the National Institutes of Health, as well as commissioned officer service for the United States Public Health Service.

Dr Anna Maria Wilms Floet is an assistant professor in the division of Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Medicine Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr Wilms Floet earned her medical degree at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. She completed training in pediatrics at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine in 1996, where she subsequently completed a fellowship in Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics in 1999. She joined the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2009. Dr Wilms Floet sees patients through the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). Her main focus there has been the evaluation of children with...

Dr. Mary Ann Wilson is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and an associate professor in the Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Wilson received her bachelor of arts in both art and physiology from the University of California at Berkeley before coming to Johns Hopkins for a doctoral degree in biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, which she received in 1990. She held post-doctoral fellowships at Hopkins’ Department of Neuroscience and Kennedy Krieger Institute's developmental neuroscience lab before joining the research faculty at Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1994.
Dr. Wilson...

Dr. Wodka graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2001 with a B.S. in Neurobiology and Physiology. She then continued her education at Drexel University, in Philadelphia, PA earning a M.S. in 2003 and Ph.D. in 2006, both in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in clinical neuropsychology. Dr. Wodka completed her clinical internship at the Mailman Center for Child Development and University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in Miami, FL and...

Shuli Xia is a research scientist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is also an assistant professor in the Departments of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Xia received her doctoral degree in biology from Johannes-Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany in 1998. She had her post-doctoral training at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO and Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT before she came to the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2002. She became a faculty member at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in 2006.

Dr. Yadav is a Research Associate in the F.M. Kirby Center at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and in the Department of Radiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Yadav completed his tertiary studies at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. In 2010, he obtained his PhD for developing novel NMR diffusometry methods for probing porous systems. Following his PhD, he completed at post-doctoral fellowship in the group of Dr. Peter van Zijls group at the F.M. Kirby Research Center and in the Department of Radiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Dr. Mingyao Ying is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Ying received his Ph.D. degree from Fudan University in China for research on neurodegenerative diseases. He completed post-doctoral research on Parkinson’s disease with Dr. Ted Dawson at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and most recently on transcriptional regulation of brain tumor stem cells with Dr. John Laterra at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Dr. Zabel received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Drexel University of Philadelphia, PA in 2000, and completed his internship training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Zabel also completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Zabel is board-certified in clinical neuropsychology by the American...

Kathleen M. Zackowski, PhD, OTR, is an associate professor at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and Neurology.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Zackowski earned her bachelor's of science in occupational therapy from Texas Tech University and went on to complete her master's of science in exercise and sport science from the University of Arizona. She worked as an occupational therapist in Texas, Arizona and California for several years before pursuing her doctorate. She completed her PhD in movement science through the program in physical therapy at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Zackowski completed her...

Jennifer Zarcone is a senior behavior analyst on the Neurobehavioral Unit in Behavioral Psychology and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is a supervising clinician and researcher for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities who have behavior disorders.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Zarcone obtained her doctoral degree from the University of Florida, Department of Psychology. She is a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA-D) and a licensed psychologist. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Association for Positive Behavior Support and as Chair of the Practice Board, a member of the Science Board, and as conference coordinator for the annual Autism Conference for the Association of Behavior Analysis (ABAI). She was recently awarded...

Dr. Andrew W. Zimmerman is a pediatric neurologist and research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Biographical Sketch:

Dr. Zimmerman received his AB from Princeton and attended medical school at Columbia University, where he obtained his medical degree in 1970. While at Columbia, he was awarded the EJ Noble Foundation International Fellowship and the Medical Student Research Award. After training in pediatrics at the University of Michigan, Dr. Zimmerman served as a clinical associate in the developmental and metabolic neurology branch of NINDS at NIH. He came to Johns Hopkins in 1974 as a...